Slide rails according to the invention are often mounted only when all other components of the respective drive have been already installed. In particular in the assembly of slide rails at timing chain drives, the engine case may be already closed during assembly. If in this case, not pre-assembled screws or screws not secured against loss are used, there is a risk of the screws falling into the engine when handled improperly. This increases the assembly efforts and thereby costs. It is therefore already known to provide a loss prevention device with such screws.
Such a loss prevention device for screws in a tensioning or guide rail is known from DE 11 2007 000 798 B4. It is described there that the tensioning or guide rail comprises an opening for receiving a retaining bolt and a lock projection is disposed in the opening. The retaining bolt comprises two lock indentations cooperating with the lock projection in the opening and permitting the captive retention of the retaining bolt in an assembly position and in a mounting position. In the assembly position, the lock projection is seated in the lock indentation of the retaining bolt facing the thread. When the retaining bolt is being mounted it is moved through the opening, the lock projection slips out of the first lock indentation and slides over the surface of the retaining bolt until the mounting position is reached and the lock projection comes into engagement with the second lock indentation.
The described loss prevention device may only be embodied in a tensioning rail having a certain thickness, so that the head of the retaining bolt with the two lock indentations may be received in the opening of the tensioning rail.
It is just in the automobile industry that a weight reduction of the individual components and the advantages involved are an important subject. It is therefore also known to employ thin-walled slide rails, in particular plate bending parts. With these thin-walled plate bending parts, the above mentioned loss prevention device cannot be realized.